


it's cold outside, baby, and i need to thaw

by Valenix



Series: Angst One-Shots [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 19:19:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17127236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valenix/pseuds/Valenix
Summary: Steve and Bucky have been unusually quiet lately, and Tony's determined to make them feel better. It is Christmas, after all.





	it's cold outside, baby, and i need to thaw

**Author's Note:**

> I make no apologies for what may seem like an abomination against all that is good and Christmassy according to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere. Also for posting this literally on Christmas Eve. 
> 
> Bit late, but at least I made it in the end.

It took some time for Tony to figure it out.

It was Steve he first noticed, of course. Tony had spent a considerable amount of time over the past few years working on cheering the guy up, and he generally thought he’d done a great job. Steve had stopped moping around indoors and had started exploring New York, had started to tentatively accept that the world had changed without him. His wounded expression when he discovered that yet another thing was gone turned into wistful nostalgia, and he’d started telling people stories about his youth in the 40’s instead of staying stubbornly silent.

Tony loved those stories. Sure, he always pretended he didn’t care, not that much, but he was always eager to hear more.

He thought Steve could tell.

So when Steve declined Tony’s invitation to explore Central Park in the snow, Tony was surprised. “Not today, Tony,” Steve muttered, not looking him quite in the eye. “Sorry.” Then he disappeared into the elevator, destined for his own floor and the privacy Tony always promised for him there.

Tony had stared at the closed elevator doors, unsure what had just happened but sure that there was something he’d missed.

***

He noticed Bucky next.

In hindsight, the tip-off should have been the way Bucky lapsed back into his silent patrols of the tower. He’d stopped doing them some time ago, finally content to let Jarvis monitor security. He did an occasional cursory check, but hadn’t done a proper patrol in ages. That wasn’t what tipped Tony off, though - it was the way Bucky stopped baking.

He’d have thought Christmas was a time for cookies and pudding and all kinds of sweet cakes, but there was no gentle scent of gingerbread drifting through the common floors. The usual pile of muffins in the common room kitchen was gone. Instead, a silent, ghostly figure checked all the entrances to the tower, not speaking a word to anybody he passed on the way.

Tony felt vaguely guilty watching Bucky’s patrol of the floor from his workshop, even more so when the super soldier paused to look up at one of the cameras directly.

“Cut the feed, J.”

The feed flickered and disappeared, leaving Tony staring blankly at the workshop wall.

Christmas wasn’t Tony's thing. He’d never had fond memories of it, not as a child or an adult. It was simply another day of the year for him, another day to be alone in his workshop while everyone else celebrated together. That didn’t mean that Steve or Bucky should go without, though. He tapped a screwdriver against the workbench, thinking. Ice skating was a thing, he thought. Tree decorating. Hot chocolate. Building snowmen. Snowball fights. Christmas Carols. Presents.

He sniffed, and brought up another window. “J, look up the most popular things to do for Christmas. It’s time to cheer up some super soldiers.”

***

Cheering up super soldiers was harder than he’d thought.

Ice skating had resulted in Steve staring blankly at the ice and refusing to move. Tree decorating was a hit for Clint and Thor, who lost their argument over who could place the star to Sam and Redwing. Natasha enjoyed watching the chaos, occasionally offering barbed critiques and banter whenever she so chose.

Steve and Bucky participated, but without much cheer.

Tony tried hot chocolate, but screwed it up; apparently coffee was the only hot drink he was able to produce with any kind of reliability. Bucky had given him a one-armed hug in thanks, though, and Tony’s mind had stalled to a halt.

Playing in the snow was a complete bust, resulting in all three of them shivering and staring at a shapeless lump of a 'snowman'. Neither Steve or Bucky were keen on singing Christmas carols, and Tony’s ridiculous pile of presents under the chaotic Christmas Tree only made Steve frown in disapproval at the money Tony must have spent.

Tony groaned in frustration and shoved a pile of notes off his work-bench. “There has to be _something_!”

“If I may, sir-”

Tony stabbed a screwdriver in the general direction of the nearest camera. “You may _not_.”

Jarvis, as always ignored him. “- Perhaps it would be more efficient for you to ask them what is wrong.”

Tony spread his hands over his workbench, staring at the latest design for Bucky’s arm that he was considering giving him for Christmas. He’d already put two others under the tree, but he’d had _ideas_ that needed to be integrated.

Jarvis had a point. His attempts at troubleshooting had so far failed. But he hated talking about feelings, so he threw the idea into his mental trash bin and went back to trying to figure it out on his own.

***

It took less time than he’d expected to simply give up and ask.

“When I was a kid,” Steve began, then paused. Tony waited, desperately wanting to touch him, to soothe away whatever was causing him pain, but knew that what he most deeply wanted wasn’t possible, especially with Bucky in the room. “When I was a kid, Christmas was… it was hard, Tony. My mother had to work at the hospital, caring for the sick. There were… there were always so many people who fell sick in the winter.  Our people, everyone I loved, were poor. Most of them couldn’t afford heating, and many had no blankets. I saw so many people fall ill. It happened to me even more than most. I remember one Christmas, when my mother was trying to find me medicine, and Bucky and his mother were caring for me, but I couldn’t breathe-”

Steve broke off, staring at the snow as it billowed past the windows. Tony let him, unsure exactly what to do. He watched Bucky’s hands card gently through Steve’s hair, the gesture gentle and soothing. Tony desperately wanted to mirror it, to be able to offer that small comfort to them both. Instead, he pressed his hands deeper into his lap

“I thought you were gonna die,” Bucky whispered. His hand moved to the back of Steve’s neck, and Steve bowed his head, leaning into the touch. “You were so sick, you could barely breathe. Mrs Hudson on the floor above us died that year, and I remember just… just _praying_ that you wouldn’t follow. That you wouldn’t be the same.”

Steve shook his head, but leaned into Bucky’s touch with a quiet sigh. Bucky wrapped the metal arm around him, pulling him closer so he could press a kiss to his lover’s temple.

Tony watched, and swallowed down his want. They had each other. They had their shared memories.

They had absolutely no need for _him._

***

“It’s the cold, really.”

Tony startled, dropping his wrench. Bucky always managed to sneak up on him, somehow, and Tony wasn’t entirely sure whether it was intentional or a genuine accident. “I should put a bell on you,” he said, stabbing a finger in Bucky’s direction as he bent to pick it up. “You’re like a cat. A giant, murdery _cat_. Stop it.”

Bucky offered him a half-hearted smile and a shrug. “Sorry. Just thought you wanted an explanation.”

“What for?”

“Steve’s moping. My, uh. Mine too.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, assessing. Bucky seemed to be telling the truth, but he wasn’t entirely sure where the conversation was leading.

“Look,” Bucky said, and Tony recognised the odd, faintly exasperated tone of voice he used when he was trying to hide his emotions. “We’ve noticed what you’re doing - the way you keep trying to cheer us up. We’re real appreciative, doll, but… but it’s not gonna work. An’ it’s not your fault.”

Something warm and pleasant curled up in Tony’s chest at the pet name, but he pushed it away. He opened his mouth to respond but paused, uncharacteristically unsure of what to say. “You both deserve to be happy,” he finally settled on. “I mean, it’s Christmas. It’s supposed to be a happy time, right?”

He didn’t mention how Christmas was a miserable time for him too - the season reminiscent of cold indifference and impatience from his parents, and of the day the two of them died. He pushed the memories away with an internal sigh, reminding himself that his own past didn’t matter. He didn’t deserve to be happy, not like Steve or Bucky did. They’d been through too much together, and deserved all the happiness they could get.

Tony did not.

Bucky studied him, and Tony got the distinct impression that there was something he wasn’t saying. “ _You_ make us happy, Tony.”

 _Not in the way I want to_ , Tony thought.

Bucky seemed to catch himself and coughed, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his neck. “This just isn’t something you can fix. The cold - it’s not just our childhood, doll. It’s… the cold feels like Russia, to me. And I think it reminds Stevie of his crash into the ice. This time of year just isn’t the best for us.”

Tony looked away, fiddling with his wrench. “You can’t blame a man for trying,” he joked, with a brittle smile. “Sorry for getting in your way.”

“You’re not in our way,” Bucky said, his tone soft and gentle. “It means a lot to see you try.”

Tony coughed awkwardly and turned away, abruptly wanting to end the conversation. “Jay, bring up the arm schematics,” he said, scrambling to avoid having to confront his feelings. “I’ve got a few ideas I thought you’d be interested in, Buckaroo. How do you feel about lasers? I’m a big fan of lasers. Very useful things. I was thinking about putting one in each of your fingertips so you could, you know-” he mimed tiger claws. “Claw people from a distance.”

He didn’t notice the odd, slightly wistful expression on Bucky’s face as he watched Tony move through the holograms, gesticulating wildly and spouting ideas that Bucky couldn’t quite follow. If he had, he might have recognised it as something resembling _longing_.

***

Here’s the thing about Tony Stark: he isn’t very good at being told ‘No’.

If anything, Bucky’s insistence that Tony couldn’t solve the problem only made Tony want to solve it more. He trawled the internet, looking for new traditions he could offer, new tourist destinations he could take them to to get their mind off the cold-

And grinned.

“J,” he said, already running through all the destinations he knew of. “Tell the super soldiers to pack their bags.”

***

Bucky took a seat in the copilot’s chair, casually slumping down into it with legs akimbo in front of him. “Are you going to tell us anything about this mission?”

Tony resisted the urge to climb on top of him, staring resolutely at the controls. “No.”

“Why not?”

Tony huffed. “It’s top secret. Very important. Very serious.” He brought the quinjet lower, angling toward an unfamiliar shore. “I’ll tell you once we’ve landed.”

Bucky frowned, watching the engineer at work. He seemed tired, or at least more tired than usual. He’d been quiet since he’d piled Bucky and Steve in the quinjet, quietly insisting that it was of vital importance that they accompany him. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Christmas, would it?”

Hesitation. A momentary, almost undetectable wrinkle of his nose. Tony focused on the controls for a moment, positioning the quinjet over a clearing near a beach and gently bringing it lower. “… Maybe.”

Steve appeared, crossing his arms on the top of Tony’s chair and smiling softly down at him. “You could have just told us that, Tony.”

Of course, both Bucky and Steve knew he wouldn’t. The engineer had a fierce allergy to _feelings_ and would never willingly admit to any kind of sentimentality. Tony shook his head, bringing the quinjet down fully into the clearing with a soft thud. “That would have ruined the surprise. WELL! Here you go, one nice cold-free Christmas. No snow, no ice, no shivering-” He shot out of his seat and between the two of them, darting out of their reach and through the open door. “Tropical cocktails in the bar!”

Steve sighed and dropped his head to rest on his folded forearms.

“We need to tell him,” Bucky said, watching as Tony hurried across the clearing in front of the quinjet toward what seemed to be an outdoor bar. “I can’t wait much longer.”

“Are you sure he’d be open to it?”

“’Course, Stevie. You’ve seen the way he looks at us. He just brought us all the way to the southern hemisphere so we could beat the cold.” Bucky smiled, wistfully. “I just hope he lets himself say yes."

Steve pushed away from the pilot’s seat with a nervous smile. “Let’s go and get it over with, then.”

***

The heat hit them both with a shock, carrying with it the smell of an ocean breeze and the sound of cicadas in the trees. They found Tony shaking up some kind of cocktail, grinning at them as they approached. “I had Thor bring over some Asgardian alcohol just for you two,” he told them. “What kind of summer holiday doesn’t involve getting tipsy? Here-” He poured the drink into two glasses and pushed them over the bar toward them. “All yours. I just thought, hey, if it’s the cold bringing you down, why don’t I take it away?”

The two super soldiers stared at him. Tony faltered as he came out from behind the bar. “… I mean, I guess I probably should have asked you about it first.” Tony plastered his favourite false smile on and shrugged, trying to act casual but failing. Bucky opened his mouth as though to say something, but Tony waved a hand. “I can take you back. Just pretend this never happened, we can head back right away-”

“We love it, Tony.”

“Oh!” Tony visibly relaxed. “Good! Great! Okay, I’ll just go. The keys for the house are in the door. Let me know how everything goes!”

“Go? Go where!?”

Tony stopped with a frown. “Um. Away? This is for you two. I don’t want to be a third wheel.”

“You’re not a third wheel,” Steve said, face setting into a frown.

“Kinda the definition of one,” Tony said, his smile tense. “Anyway, I’m just gonna-”

Bucky moved before Tony could step away again, an arm sliding around his waist and trapping him against Bucky’s chest. “Don’t go,” the super soldier told him. “You’re staying. Here. With us.”

Tony considered moving away, but felt Steve envelope him into a hug from behind and froze. “Um. Okay?”

Bucky grinned and leaned to kiss Steve over Tony’s shoulder, and Tony found himself watching with a sinking heart. This was the exact kind of thing he wanted to avoid - having to watch the two of them be soft and beautiful and happy without him - but he couldn’t tear his eyes away, too entranced by the sight of the two of them together.

Bucky eventually drew back, a soft smile on his face. “Thanks, doll,” Bucky said, his voice quiet. He turned and brushed his lips over Tony’s forehead, and the engineer's mind ground to a halt. 

Steve chuckled behind him, and Tony jumped as large, warm hands slid around him - one to his chest, one to sit low on his belly. “We really appreciate it, Tony,” Steve whispered in his ear, his lips brushing against his skin before coming to rest on the side of his neck. Tony shivered as a kiss was pressed there. “You’ve really outdone yourself.”

“I don’t know what’s happening,” Tony blurted out, eyes wide. “I mean, I’m _thoroughly_ enjoying it, don’t get me wrong, this is definitely one of my fantasies, but this is also _definitely not what I expected_ -”

Bucky leaned back and flashed a wolfish grin. “You mean you’re not meant to be part of our present?” he winked. “And I so wanted to unwrap you.”

Tony stared at him, heart beating far too fast to be healthy. Steve brushed teeth over his pulse point, and Tony jumped. “We both did,” Steve told him. “We’ve wanted you for a while. Asked Santa for you and everything.”

Tony startled them both with a quick bark of laughter. “That, Rogers, was the cheesiest thing I think I’ve ever heard you say. Never do that again. Please. I don’t think my innocent ears can bear it-”

Then Bucky was kissing him, and Tony’s brain stalled before he threw himself into the kiss with passion. It was eager and rough at first, all enthusiasm and teeth, but Bucky turned his head and then everything fell into place.

“You look so beautiful,” he heard, and felt Steve move beside him just as Bucky slipped his tongue past Tony’s lips. “Both of you. I could watch this all day.”

Bucky pulled away with a smile. Tony turned to look, and then Steve was kissing him, all gentle slowness to juxtapose Bucky’s heat. He felt Steve’s hands cup his jaw, tilting his head back for better access, before they moved to explore his shoulders, and chest, and eventually came to rest on his hips.

When they finally came back up for air Tony was panting, eyes blown wide. “This, uh, may be the best Christmas ever.”

Bucky grinned, picking up his cocktail and holding it up in a toast. “I couldn’t agree more.”

***

As it turned out, it was possible for Tony to have a good Christmas.

That night, he lay sprawled across the two of them, their gigantic hammock swinging gently in the warm ocean breeze. The majority of his clothes were scattered across the floor inside - alongside Steve and Bucky’s - so he could trace his fingers over exposed skin as the super soldiers slept.

He still wasn’t entirely sure it was real, but they’d told him everything. How they’d wanted him for months, how his repeated attempts to make them feel better only made them want him more.

Steve’s arm slipped around him, and Tony buried closer with a smile. Tomorrow, presents - but for now, just this.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](valenixfix.tumblr.com), [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/Valenix), and discord (username Valenix#4836). Feel free to add me or drop me a line - I love meeting new friends :)


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